Long COVID (adjunctive care)
Also known as: long COVID, post-COVID condition, post-acute sequelae of COVID-19, PASC, long haul COVID
Long COVID means symptoms persisting or appearing after a COVID-19 infection, most often fatigue, breathlessness, brain fog, poor sleep and post-exertional malaise (symptoms crashing after activity). Management centres on pacing, symptom-specific care and GP-led review to exclude other causes. Chinese medicine supports recovery, framed as Qi and Yin deficiency, lingering Phlegm-Heat in the Lung, or Heart-Spleen deficiency affecting sleep and cognition.
Plain-English one-pager you can print or hand to a patient. Free, no sign-in needed.
Lifestyle & Diet
- •Pace, don't push — plan your week around your energy and stop before you crash.
- •Track your symptoms and activity for a couple of weeks to find your baseline.
- •Prioritise sleep and keep a regular sleep-wake time.
- •Eat regular, nourishing meals; dehydration and skipped meals worsen brain fog.
- •Ask your GP about a long COVID clinic referral if symptoms significantly limit daily life.
Cautions & Contraindications
- •New or worsening cardiopulmonary symptoms need medical assessment before any complementary treatment.[,]
- •Avoid rigid graded-exercise escalation where post-exertional malaise is present — pacing is the evidence-based approach.[,]
- •Chinese medicine here is supportive and never replaces GP-led investigation of persistent symptoms.[]
When to reassess or seek care again
Review energy envelope and symptom pattern fortnightly. Any new chest pain, severe breathlessness, fainting or neurological change goes straight to medical care. Consider long COVID clinic referral for significant ongoing limitation.
Explore more diseases
Sources & Further Reading
Clinical guidance, red flags and safety notes on this page draw on the following current sources alongside the classical references above.
- healthdirect Australia · 2024
- WHO · 2023
- NICE · 2024
Educational reference for licensed practitioners. Not a substitute for individual clinical assessment. Refer to conventional care for any red-flag or undiagnosed presentation.